M - TriE 'fROPiCAL 
AGRICULTUEtST. [Jan. 1, 1900. 
2. That np to the present time the scheme, so far 
as it concerns Indian Tea,, has worked satisfactorily, 
no opposition having been shown by importers of 
Indian Tea to the necessary postponement of the 
aale of their Tea°, when so decided by the committee ; 
and buyers have in many cases expressed satisfaction 
at a limit being placed to the quantity offered weekly. 
3. That the committee regret that so few im- 
porters of Ceylon Tea availed themselves of the 
opportunity of submitting particulars of their Teas 
for regulation at a time whea it would have been 
advantageous to have done so. 
4. That with a view of obtaining a more satis- 
factory result, and one fairer to the present sub- 
■cribers to the agreement, this committee would nrte 
upon the Indiaa and Ceylon Associations the desirabi- 
lity of doing all in their power to induce those im- 
porters to join who have not already done so. 
(Sd.) Arthub Thompson, Chairman of the Committee. 
— Borne and Colonial Mail, Nov 14. 
BRITISH AND BENNINGTON'S TEA 
TRADING ASSOCIATION (Limited). 
At the fourth ordinary general meeting held 
yesterday at the company's ofiices, Soutlnvark- 
street Mr. Joiin H. Moore who presided, re- 
marked that the net prolits of the year were 
£11,756 against £10,797 for the 12 months ended 
September 30 1898 and this, notwithstanding 
the fact that considerable disadvantages had 
arisen owing to the high range of prices ruling in 
the tea market during the greater part of the 
year. The actual balance on prolit-and-loss ac- 
count available for distribution was £8,926 against 
£8,378 in 1898, The whole of the preliminary 
expenses attending tlie formation of the company, 
amounting to £1,259, had been written off, and 
consequently about £450 would be available in 
future years either for dividend or an addition to 
the reserve. The average net trading profits of 
the first, three years of the company had exceeded 
the certified average profits of the combined 
businesses for the three years immediutely jireced- 
ing the lormation of the concern, and tiiis not- 
withstanding several adverse circumstances. 
Neither the company nor its predecessors had 
eTer adopted the practice of weighing tea in the 
wrapper, and he denied that sucli a practice could 
be called " the custom of the trade." The board 
in liay last paid dividends upon the preference 
and ordinary shares at the rate ot 5 per cent, per 
annum ; they now proposed to pay the usual divi- 
dend for the half-year upon the preference shares, 
and they recommended a dividend at the rate of 
7i per cent, per annum upon the ordinary shares. 
He concluded by moving the adoption of the re- 
port. Mr. George Bennington seconded the re- 
■olution which was carried. — London Times, Nov 21. 
. ' 
IV.' . DEPARTURE OF AMERICAN 
- BOTANISTS, 
'ftie American Botanists, Messrs. D. G. 
Pairchild and Barbour Lathrop, of the Agri- 
cultural Deparments of Washington and 
Chicago, respectively, whose arrival by the 
" Friedrich der Grosse,". we chronicled on 
Thursday last, left yesterday for Singa- 
pore. Their hurried departure, before they 
were able to pursue their tropico-agriculturail 
investigations here to any considerable degree, 
was owing to the necessity they were under 
of pushing on to Java as quickly as possible, 
and the inconvenience that would arise froni 
taking a later steamer. Mr. P^airchild writes 
to us expressing his regret that he was 
deprived of the chance of .spending a few 
days in Kandy and other parts of the i.-^Iand. 
THE GERMAN SCIENTISTS. 
Drs. Benedict Friedlaender and August 
Ewers, who arrived at Colombo about a 
month ago on a scientific expedition to the 
East, left the island for Tuticorin on Saturday 
last. During their stay in Ceylon they were 
busy collecting specimens and information 
regarding biology and the popular belief 
among the natives with regard to the in- 
fluence of the moon on human beings. They 
also travelled upcountry, where among the 
other places visited were Mihintale and 
Anuradhapura. The summit of Pidin-u- 
talagala was also ascended and they seenied 
pleased with everything they saw. Dr. 
Friedlaender took a collection of Sinhalese 
and Sanskrit books along with him to help 
him in his researches. From Tuticorin they 
will make a tour through India and thence 
will proceed to the Samoan Islands, returning 
home after about six months. 
COCOA IN AMERICA. 
The imports of cocoa show a large gain over pre- 
vious year.e. For nine months ending Sept- 
ember 30, 1899. they were 28,926,474 pounds— a 
gain of over 10,000,000 pound over the same time 
in 1898, and 8,000,000 pounds over 1897. In only 
two previous years have the imports for the 
entire year exceeded the imports for nine monthi 
of 1899. The cocoa industry is growing fast. — 
Ainerican Grocer. 
Timber in Victoria. — Mr. Perrin, tlie Victorian 
Conservator of Forests report.^ thatbetween theyears 
1888-89 and 1897-98, 615,603 valuable timber trees 
were planted by hand in permanent sites. In 
addition to these some 380,000 blue gums and 
sugar gums are thriving at Havelock, Majorca 
and You Yangs. These, however, were sewn 
broadcast and thinned out afterwards. The num- 
ber of applications for surplus stock at the Mace- 
don nursery continues to increase year by year. 
Nearly 50,000 were distributed from Macedon 
during 1898. The three most popular trees for 
the northern plains are the sugar gum, pepper 
tree and locust tree, and to these may be added 
the tallow wood of New South Wales. —/?yd»ey 
Mail, Nov. 25. 
The Russian Tka-Trade with Colombo, 
— We have to remind all those concei-ned — 
and not a few firms will be interested in 
the occasion— of the meeting to be held at 
the Chamber of Commerce on Friday at 3 
p.m., to discuss the possibility of increasing 
the quantity of tea put up foi' sale in Col- 
ombo. Planters are naturally unwilling to 
favour a move that might result in a 
lowering, of prices ; but it is pretty certain 
that the large Russian firms will not inun- 
date local agents with f urther.orders that will 
only tend to raise the prices in the Colombo 
market. It would, therefore, be advisable 
that a favourableconsiderfition should be given 
to the requirements ot Russian firms which 
are fully cognisant of the high quality of 
Ceylons, but Avhich will probably continue 
to serve themselves with Chinas and Javas 
unless they can obtain increased supplies 
here at present prices. For this it is impera- 
tive that there shall be larger deliveries for 
the Colon^bo sales. 
